The factorial validity and reliability of three versions of the Aggression Questionnaire using Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling

•Three versions of the Aggression Questionnaire were examined.•CFA suggested that the four-factor model was optimal.•Fit indices improved with the use of ESEM in all versions.•Results revealed only partial gender invariance.

The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) measures aggression in four domains: Anger, Hostility, Physical Aggression and Verbal Aggression. Moreover, a number of shorter versions of the AQ have emerged. The present study used a large sample of adolescents to test three versions of the AQ. In each case we examined a unidimensional model, a hierarchical model, and a four-factor model. Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis revealed limited support for a unidimensional model in any of the AQ forms, with results supporting the widely used four-factor model, and to a lesser extent, the hierarchical model. Fit indices for both short-forms of the AQ using Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling were very good. However, results also revealed only partial gender invariance for both scales.